Curtain for car-vestibules.



J. H. DONALDSON & B. T; LEWIS. M. 0. LEWIS, EXEOUTRIX or B. T. LEWIS, DEOD. CURTAIN FOR GAR VESTIBULES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 17, 1911.

1,1 1 9,499, Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTORS in: wumas PETERS 60.. PHOTOqLITHQ. WASHING TON. u. 1..

J. H. DONALDSON & B. T. LEWIS.

11. 0.1.11w1s, BXEOUTRIX or B. T. LEWIS, nno'n. CURTAIN FOR GAB. VESTIBULES. APPLICATION 111.111) APR. 17, 1911.

1,119,499, Patented Dec.1,1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

W1 Q a5 14 H):-v NOIERJ PETERS c0 PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHIN PP '7. C

J. H. DONALDSON & B. T. LEWIS.

M. O. LEWIS, EXEOUTEIX OF B. T. LEWIS, DEUD.

CURTAIN FOR OAR VESTIBULE& APPLICATION FILED APR.17, 1911 1,119,499, Patented Dec.1,1914.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTORS THE NORRIS PETERS coy. FH'oTo-LITHO'.i WASHING TON. D. c.

I UNITED-STATES PATENT our-ion.

JAMES H. DONALDSON, OF OAK PARK, AND BENJAMIN T. LEWIS, OF LA GRANGE ILLINOIS; MINNIE C. LEWIS EXECUTRIX OF DECEASED.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, James H. DONALD- SON andBnNJAM1N T. LEWIS, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Oak Park and'La Grange, county of Cook, State ofIllinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Curtains for Car- Vestibules, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of. this specification. I

Our invention has for its object to produce a neat, simple and compact curtain'apparatus adapted to cover the diaphragms at the sides of the passageway leading from the vestibule of one car to another.

A further object of our invention is to .produce -a novel supporting means and mount for vestibule curtains which will permit the curtains to be quickly and easily inspected, removed or replaced.

The various features of novelty whereby our invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of our invention and of its various obiects and advantages. reference mav be had to the :following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through the adioining vestibule of two passenger cars, illustrating our improvements; Fig. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale. showing the curtain-supporting fixtures detached from the corner post on which they are mounted, parts being broken away for the purpose of uncovering portions which would'otherwise be concealed: Fig. 3 is a section taken through the vestibule post just above the upper fixture; Fig.v 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 taken on a plane below the lower end of the curtain door; Fig. 5 is a central vertical section on line 55 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is an elevationof the'detachable member which carries the bearing for the upper end of the curtain roller: Fig. 7 is a section on line 77 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is an elevation of the detachable member for supporting the lower end of the curtain roller:

9 is a detailed evet thel we hrac fi Specification of Letters Patent.

SAID BENJAMIN r. LEwIs,

CURTAIN Fos oAR-vEsTIs'ULEs.

' Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

Application filed April 17, 1911. Serial No. 621,667.

for supporting the lower bearing member of the curtain roller. 1 ,1

In practice there will be twocurtains, one on each side of the passage between the two adjacentvestibules; but since both of these curtains and their-fixtures are alike. weshall describe only the arrangement on one side.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and Qrepresent thev vestibule doorposts on the adjacent endsof two cars. 7 y I i 3 is a curtain which is mounted upon a suitable roller upon one of the door-posts and is adapted to be'drawn across the space between the twopostsand be connected to .the other post, :the inner sides of the diaphragm 4 and pro "tecting passengers from contact with the diaphragm. I i 1 thus forming a cover across In accordance with our invention we form a longitudinal groove 5 1n the inner corner-- of the door post 1 and provide a detachable cover or casing for closing the groove and supporting the roller of the curtain. In the preferred arrangement we secure in theupper end of the groove a, cap 6 and in the i lower end;of the groove a cap 7. these being permanently held on, the post bv means of screws 8 orthe like; the caps being spaced far enough apart to permit a curtain roller to be placed between them. The cap 7 has a portioncut away so as to permit dirt entering the groove-to drop out at thebottom. Projecting outwardly from the cap 6 at each side'of the recess in the post is a hookor open-top bearing 9. The mem er 7 is provided with similar books or hearing seats 10. The members?) .and 10 areadapted to sup port adetachable casing which in turn supports the curtain roller. It will be seen that g the casing and the curtain mav beremoved by simply lifting the casing out of the bearing members. In the preferred arrangement. the casing is formed of an up er bracket'll. a lower bracket 12 and a section of sheet metal or other sheet material 13 which is riveted or otherwi e secured at its ends to the two brackets. The bracketsare preferably provided with laterallv extending fingers 14 and 15 respectively: the fingers 14 being adapted to rest in and he supported by the members 9 and the fingers 15 to besimilarlv engaged withthe bearing members 10. When the casing is placed in .rositiqi a th a t. it: terms .WithfisfJ-"fl 1 or groove in the post a housing for the curtain, the housing being" closed exceptfor a long narrow slot 16 which extends down between the outer end of the member 13 and the side of the post, this slot permitting the passage of the curtain as it is wound upon and unwound. from its roller.

The lower bracket, 12, is provided with an inwardly extending arm 17 which has a bearing seat 18 at its inner end for the reception of a trunnion 19 on the lower end of the curtain roller 20. The upper bracket, 11, is provided with a suitable bearing member for the upper end of the curtain roller. To this end we have formed on the bracket 11 a downwardly extending arm or post 21 on which is adjustably mounted a bearing bracket 22 adapted to receive the rectangular end of the roller shaft 23. By making the bracket 22 adjustable on its support, it may be raised and lowered so as to permit the curtain roller to be quickly attached and detached. Furthermore, this arrangement compensates for differences in the lengths of rollers, so that a roller will be properly supported regardless of its length. In the arrangement shown the bracket 22 is provided with flanges 24 which overlie the sides of the member 21 and serve as guides for the bracket. A screw 25 passes through an elongated vertical slot 26 in the bracket and into the post 21. When the screw is loosened the bracket may be moved up and down and thenbe again locked in its adjusted position by tightening the screw.

In accordance with our invention we so proportion the parts that when they are assembled the plane of the sides of the posts 1 and 2 passes through the slot 16 and tangential to the curtain roller; thus permitting the curtain to be drawn out and lie flat between the point where it leaves "the roller and the point where it is attached to the post on the opposite car. By this arrangement the curtain is prevented from being worn by rubbing against portions of the post or housing and a long life is assured. In other devices of this kind, of which we are aware, the curtains always rub upon some portion of the post and therefore wear out quickly due to the constant movement when the trains are running. Furthermore, the friction between a curtain and the post, where the curtain rubs upon the post, makes it hard to draw the curtain out.

In order to prevent the casing from jumping out of its bearings, we have provided a dog 27 which is pivoted upon the cap 6 directly above the bracket 11 and normally hangs down and engages with the top' of the bracket. Vv'hen it is desired to remove the casing. the dog is swung laterally far enough to permit the casing to be lifted out of its bearings. V 4

The parts-30, 31,- 33,- 34 and 35 indicate housin in said seatsp an automatic releasing device for the curtain forming no part of the present invention.

We claim:

1. In combination, a post, two separated caps secured to the inner corner of the post and projecting horizontally therefrom, each of said caps having open-topped bearing seats at its outer edge, a housing curved about the corner of the post and having projections resting in" said seats, said housing forming with the post a curtain-receiving chamber, and a curtain roller mounted in said chamber.

2. In combination, a post, two separated caps seci'ired to the inner corner of the post and projecting; horizontally therefrom, each of said caps having open-topped bearing seats at its outer edge, a housing curved" about the corner of the post and having projections resting in said seats, said housins; forming with the post a curtain-receivinp; chamber, and a curtain roller detachably mounted on said housing within said chamber.

3. In combination, a post, two separated caps secured to the inner corner of the post and projecting horizontally therefrom, each of said caps having open-topped bearing seats at its outer edge, a housing curved about the corner of the post and having projections resting in said seats. said housing forming with the post a curtain-receiving chamber, a curtain roller mounted in said chamber, the lowermost cap having: a portion cut away for the purpose of permitting dirt to drop out of said chamber.

In combination, a post, separated caps secured to one corner of the post. each of said caps having open-topped bearing seats, and a housing comprising two curved brackets lying in said bearing seats and a curved sheet metal plate secured at its ends to said brackets, said housing forming with the post a curtain-receiving chamber, one of the side edsres of the plate being separated from the adjacent side of the post so as to provide a long" narrow outlet from said chamber for the passage of a curtain, and a curtain roller supported within said chamber.

5. In combination, a post, separated caps secured to one corner of the post. each of said caps having open-topped bearins seats, and a housing comprising two curved brackets lying in said bearing: seats and a curved sheet metal late secured at its ends to said 126 brackets, said housing forming with the post a curtain-receiving chamber, one of the side edges of the plate being separated from the adjacent side of the post so as to provide a long narrow outlet from said chamber for the passage of a curtain, a curtain roller supported within said chamber, and a dog on the u per of said caps in position to engage with the upper bracket and hold the 6. In combination, a post, separated caps secured upon one corner of said post, each of said caps having open-topped bearing seats, a housing comprising brackets each of which rests in the bearing seats on one of said caps and a curved sheet metal-plate secured at its ends to said bracket, said housing forming with the post a curtainreceiving chamber one edge of said plate being spaced apart from the side of the post to form a long narrow curtain-outlet from said chamber, and each of said brackets having a bearing member projecting inwardly into said chamber for supporting a curtain roller. Y

7. In combination a post, two separated brackets secured to the inner corner of the post and projecting horizontally therefrom, a housing curved about the corner of the post and detachably connected to said brackets, said housing forming With the post a curtain receivingchamber, a curtain roller in said chamber, a bearing on the housing for the lower end of the roller, and a bearing forv the upper end of the roller mounted on the housing so as to be adjustable axially ofthe roller.

- 8. In a device of the class described, a curtain plate, a pair of spaced-apart castings reinforcing said plate, means carried by one of said castings forming part of a means for holding said plate in position, and curtain supporting means carried by said castings I Goples of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. a 

